


To the Victor

by BlessedMasochist



Series: You Were Made for Me [3]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alpha Edward, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Omega Oswald Cobblepot, Revenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:33:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27959204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlessedMasochist/pseuds/BlessedMasochist
Summary: With Edward back by his side Oswald's revenge should be assured, but Theo Galavan has a few more dirty tricks up his sleeve, and Oswald Cobblepot is in for more upset before returning to his rightful place as King of Gotham.
Relationships: Oswald Cobblepot/Edward Nygma
Series: You Were Made for Me [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1932430
Comments: 14
Kudos: 33





	1. You're Going to Be Fun

**Author's Note:**

> The third and final installment of this A/B/O trilogy. I hope everyone enjoys this last part, and I promise Oswald and Edward will triumph over Galavan in the end.

Edward pulled the collar of his coat up against the slight drizzle of rain that trickled down from the smog-filled skies. He grumbled to himself as Oswald’s angry words bounced around his head. He did regret yelling at his mate, but the other man’s ire had been completely misdirected…

_ Have you considered that our dear mate is exasperated with you as well as his situation.  _

“What?” he scowled, looking down at his smirking reflection in a puddle. 

_ What use have you been to him lately? He’s only keeping you around for convenience.  _

“Do you always have such  _ interesting _ conversations with yourself?” 

Edward whipped his head up to see, “Ms. Kean?” 

Barbara smiled and gave a dainty little bow, her red gloves a distracting sharp contrast to the black wool coat protecting her from the rain. Before he could form a reply a crack of pain exploded from the back of his head, causing Edward to collapse unconscious in the grimy alley. 

\-----

By Edward’s estimation it had been five hours, twenty minutes, and forty-three seconds since he had awoken in the dark. The stone walls were perpetually chilly, leading Edward to believe he was either underground or near the river. The only thing he could surmise about the dark space was a small cot, to which Edward was chained. The long iron chains were secured at Edward’s ankle, which said to the forensic scientist that they did not consider him a threat. 

A mistake really. 

He was out of the cuff and at the door to the cell in record time, even with diminished sight. Whoever was holding him had been organized, professional and Edward did not want to take the chance of an escape too quickly, and blunder once he was free of the cell due to lack of information. So, the only recourse was to sit tight for the moment and see what they wanted from his mate. He had no illusions as to why he was taken and so he would play the game until he could return to Oswald’s side and watch him slay them all for their arrogance. 

He put the cuff back on upside down, a fun little game to see if his captors were paying attention and sat back on the cot to wait.

Edward was no stranger to being shoved unceremoniously into small, dark spaces; he had spent the better part of his high school career inside the cramped confines of his locker, or the downstairs closet, hiding from his father’s temper. He was not afraid of the dark; in fact, he found solace in it. 

So when he was met with a blinding white light illuminating not only the dank cell to Edward’s critical eye, but a tall Alpha woman with cruel brown eyes and a sharp grin he found himself more anxious about such illumination and what it could mean for him. 

“Oh dear,” Edward murmured with a sigh as the woman seemed to be observing his reaction. 

She cocked her head as if considering a stain on her carpet rather than a man in her captivity, gaze flickering down very briefly over the cuff. “Oh, you’re going to be fun,” was all she imparted before the cell door shut and Edward was plunged into darkness once more. 

\---

Two days later she returned, pulling Edward out of bed by his hair. He went down with a cry, hearing a click as his wrists were held fast to the bed frame. He growled low in his throat, glaring up at the woman as she loomed above him.    


“The little man is positively  _ beside _ himself looking for you,” she laughed. “It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad.” 

_ “Are you going to let her talk to us that way?”  _ A chuckle sounded from Edward’s right, and he turned his cheek to see his other half sitting primly on the cot, legs crossed at the knee as calm as you please, staring down at Edward with a smug smile. 

She crouched down and gripped his jaw in a gloved hand, the pads of her fingers digging painfully into his skin. “What’s so interesting over there? Don’t want to hear about how the beaky _freak_ ’s been crying for you, and you’ve just been sitting here _useless_?” 

Edward snarled, pulling his head sharply away. “Whatever you took me for, you  _ need _ Oswald. I am confident he’s safe.”

She stood with a smirk. “For now, and if you want him to stay that way, Nygma, you’ll stay in this cell. I imagine we’ll become  _ great _ friends.” 

The shackles rattled against the iron frame of the bed as Edward struggled to stand. Her laughter echoed down the hallway. Edward was for once discomforted by the surrounding darkness, panic spiking like needles under his skin. He wrung his hands nervously and reached into the hidden pocket of his suit to find the ring still safely tucked away. He removed it, the warm metal bringing small comfort. What was Oswald going through? What could this woman need from the Omega that she needed to resort to such means? He needed more information to untangle this puzzle and it was coming too slowly. 

_ Simple, sweet Eddie. Always following rules and orders. If you want answers you need to seek them for yourself! _

He barely glanced in the direction of his doppleganger who was smiling brightly despite the darkness. 

"It would endanger Oswald," he breathed, slipping the ring back into the refuge of his suit. 

_ Or~ it could  _ save _ him. Knowledge is power, dear Eddie. You above anyone should know that.  _

\---

Tabitha entered the cell a day or two later, perhaps more. Edward’s perception of time was becoming skewed by the endless darkness. She crossed her arms as she looked down at him with a frown. 

“I don’t know what he sees in you, honestly.” 

"I don't know what you see in Barbara- the world is full of surprises," he murmured in reply, refusing to submit even in his exhaustion. The other Alpha reeked of the unstable blond. Far more so than Jim ever had. He refused to make eye contact, knowing that she would see it as weakness from his position on the floor beside the bed. He had just enough slack to sit beside the rickety cot without removing the cuff. 

Tabitha narrowed her eyes. "Perceptive little thing, aren't you?" Quicker than lightning, she grabbed a handful of Edward's hair and pulled it sharply to reveal his throat. The cool sting of a blade shortly followed. Edward sat still, inwardly smug as he had seemed to get right under his captors skin and touched a vein. "Your Penguin is a bumbling  _ mess _ without you."

He hissed, managing to keep most of his pained noises at bay as she attempted to get a rise from him. "He's fine, don't be dramatic... Oswald is perfectly capable of functioning without me," Edward replied, faith in his partner never wavering, even now. 

"You don't need to suffer in his absence. He's only an Omega. Tell me what we need to know about his operations, the G.C.P.D. and Gotham's elite, and we would let you go~"

A hollow laugh echoed off the walls, causing the knife to pierce his skin in a shallow slice. "I don't have anywhere to be." He bared his teeth in a sneer as he laughed again, amused by her anger. 

Instead of lashing out at him again, Tabitha merely smiled, dark eyes cold and distant as she regarded Edward. "The hard way then. How fun~" She left with a laugh, slamming the cellar door behind her. The darkness surrounding him again like a comforting blanket. 

When he was alone he removed the cuff once more. Carefully, he took the ring from his pocket and placed it on his index finger. His fingers twirled the ring round and round as his mind raced, the pain in his throat forgotten. His long legs took the opportunity to stretch and pace the parameter of his captivity. 

_ We _ .

The woman had slipped up and said she and at least one other partner were in cahoots.  _ How fascinating _ . The term spoke of familiarity, or group think. 

\---

Four days later Tabitha returned, anger and frustration rolling off of her, obfuscating the cell like smoke. She approached in two long strides and gripped his jaw between two perfectly manicured claws. She dragged her nails down his cheek, jaw, and neck with a growl of disgust, leaving long bloodied gashes in their wake.

Edward hissed, offering little resistance as his tired frame began to show signs of exhaustion. "Having a bad day?" he murmured softly, dark eyes dull and disinterested with the pain that throbbed over his skin. 

"Something like that," she murmured, pushing him back against the metal frame of the cot. She kicked out against his side, grinning as she heard a rib snap. 

Edward bit his tongue to hold back the sounds of his pain, tasting blood as he grunted. "Anything I can do to help?" he asked sarcastically, surprised by how thin and rough his voice sounded. He suspected the answer would be similar to her previous requests for information.

"No. My brother is getting  _ exactly _ what he wanted, and taking everything else along with it." Her words were bitter, a glimmer of tears in her eyes. The scent of Ms. Kean seemed to have faded entirely from her person leaving her cold and caustic. 

"So you're here to take it out on me then, I can assume?" he murmured monosyllabically, noting that the playful glimmer in her eye had faded. "...all your other playthings run away?" 

"She did not run away!" She bit out through clenched teeth. 

Edward smirked, bracing himself for the pain he knew would come. "Did Jim come back for her? Or did she just want a proper Alpha? Your brother, you said? That must stin-" 

His words were cut off as she snarled viciously, slamming her first into the side of his head. "What would  _ you _ know about being a proper Alpha! You let yourself be captured, and trust me your little Omega is far from safe. My brother has taken an interest in him too, and Theo always gets what he wants."

Edward snorted. Theo Galavan, then. The new golden boy of Gotham seemed to want to make his mark and climb to the heights of the Gotham hierarchy. Trying to depose a king would surely set the pace. "Oswald won't make it easy for Galavan, but he's welcome to try. The Penguin is a notoriously manipulative Omega… are you sure your brother isn't playing into his hand? There aren't many that can resist his scent, particularly when he's in heat." The tired Alpha pushed out a sharp laugh. "Galavan is probably completely distracted by him."

"In heat?" A smirk touched her lips, a twinkle now shining in her dark gaze. "Oh you poor idiot~" She knocked his head against the metal pole and whispered a soft, 'Goodnight, riddleman,' before she turned on her heels and left the cell, a new spring in her step.

\---

When she arrived next, Edward decided to be more forthcoming, hoping the other woman would slip just a bit more, giving him the final piece that he could bring to Oswald. He didn't know how long he had been in the cell, but he was certain whatever occupied Oswald's attention was more important than himself. Edward was very familiar with the feeling of being second, or third in someone's priorities. 

Tabitha merely stared at him with a frown. Cuffed to the bed with his head resting on his knees he appeared to be completely broken. "Will you tell me what I wish to know now? Or are you going to continue to test me?" 

"No," he croaked, not looking up. "No more pain, please." He trembled before her, showing her just how fearful he truly was. 

She smirked. "Wayne enterprises, what do you know about the corporation and Bruce Wayne?" 

With a hollow voice Edward spilled everything he knew about the company, past, present, and future. Gordon's connection to the Wayne heir, the ongoing investigation for his parents' murderer, and his penchant for sticking his nose in G.C.P.D. investigations. 

Tabitha Galavan grinned. "Thank you, Edward. You've been most helpful. I'll send your regards to your Omega next time he's in my brother's lap."

Edward growled, pulling against the chain as he finally met her eye. 

"There's that idiotic vigor! I almost missed you fighting me~ When Theo rules this disgusting dump of a city perhaps I'll keep you as a permanent plaything." 

Edward did not rise to her bait and merely set his head back down on his knees, staring blankly at the wall.

She sneered and clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Unless, of course, you continue to bore me." She left the cell with a huff, the darkness covering up Edward’s grin. 

The final piece of the puzzle fell into place. This wasn't a bid for total control of Gotham. This was a feud between Galavan and the Waynes. He didn't need to know  _ why _ , perhaps that would come later, but now he had everything he needed to return to Oswald and together they could take down the siblings who thought to come between them. 

Late that night he slipped out of the cell, a simple spring from the cot acting as a lockpick. He quickly assessed the surroundings and began to walk carefully and quietly down the hall. 

He managed to go down one hallway and a stairwell, stopping at a door as some movement caught his eye. His heart stopped at the familiar sight of spiked black hair, short stature, and a pressed suit came into view. In three ground-eating strides Edward embraced the shadowy figure, holding him close as he breathed, " _ Oswald."  _


	2. In White Lace

By the time they got to the safehouse, Edward was nearly dead on his feet. He held Oswald up as they were escorted inside by Oswald’s remaining hired muscle. This safehouse was far removed from their last lodgings. It stunk of the sewers, the rounded walls dripped with viscous foul-smelling liquid. Everything was cramped, large bodies pressed together as Edward and Oswald made their way slowly through the throng. They ignored the cheers and clapping from the small crowd, too exhausted to bask in their praise. 

They were together again, that’s all that mattered. 

There was a private room off the end of the hall, too small to be called anything but a cell, and Edward loathed to be inside such a place again. However, with Oswald by his side he endured and sat with the smaller man on his lap, tucked against his chest. He spoke to him in low, soothing tones as he ran his hand up and down Oswald’s back and sides, absolutely relieved to have his mate back in his arms again. 

The wounds he suffered from Tabitha needed tending, and Oswald’s ankle needed to be set, but nothing could pry him from Oswald again. They fell asleep in each other’s arms, both men exhausted and just happy to have each other once more. 

They were awoken by Gabe’s tentative knock on the door, Oswald growling lowly into Edward’s neck. “S-Sorry for interrupting, boss. I know you said not to disturb you, but...You know how you said to check on your mom, make sure she’s safe and all that…” 

"Mother?" His head whipped around, blue eyes weary with fear. "Yes, where is she? What is it?" Oswald snapped anxiously, unsure if his heart could bear anything but good news after everything it had been through recently. 

Gabe looked down, eyes filled with regret as he wrung his blood soaked hands. "I'm sorry, boss. We got to her apartment, you see, and the door was cracked, so we went inside and...she was on the floor in the kitchen… One of her cooking knives was well...We brought her back, didn't wanna leave her there, you know. Didn't seem proper, leaving her alone like that…"

"No…" he whispered, clambering to his feet as his muscles screamed in protest along with his mind's anguish. "No, no, no," he pushed past the man, past the blood on his hands, desperate to find her whole and alive, his name echoing in her sweet voice through the hollow pipes. "Mother?! Mother, where are you?! " he cried out, voice strained and tight as it died in his throat. 

Edward followed, hot on his heels. Two of Oswald's men had her in what looked like one of her lacy curtains, wrapped and protected from their foul hideout. There was no apparent wound on the front of her body, but judging by the blood that had seeped into the lace from below, Edward surmised she had been stabbed in the back. It was a clear message to Oswald about the consequences of freeing his mate. Edward's eyes widened, hand flying of its own accord to his lips. "Oh dear…"

Oswald collapsed atop her with an anguished cry, unable to hold back his grief as he wound his fingers in her curly hair and tipped her face toward him, quietly sobbing apologies against her cold cheek. "I am so sorry, please, no…"

Edward stepped forward, glaring at the others who stood gaping at their leader. With a glance he bade them leave, giving Oswald and his mother the privacy they deserved. He came to his mate's side, a gentle hand on his back. 

He had no tears left to shed, though he continued to cry out in sadness. "He will pay for what he's done to me," Oswald growled, throat impossibly tight as he clung to his mother's body. "Theo Galavan will die. He has taken too much from me."

Edward quieted his heart, hoping he was more comforting than stoic in this current moment as he approached Oswald slowly. He knelt down and wrapped his arm around Oswald, gently prodding him to turn away. "He will pay with blood, Oswald. I promise you that." 

Slowly, his stiffened frame relaxed into Edward's embrace, relinquishing his hold on Gertrud's lifeless form in favour of clinging to his mate. "She deserves a proper funeral…" Oswald's voice broke as his thoughts drifted to the mess buried in the garden. "Please, Ed, we've got to take her to the funeral parlor, I can't let her memory end here or in some forgotten dirt…" 

"We go with full cover," he replied with a nod. "Do you still have ties to the Funeral Home on 5th?" 

He nodded wordlessly, burying his face in Edward's neck with a shuddering sigh. 

Edward held him for several moments, his hand running smooth gentle circles against his shoulder blades. He whispered soft words of comfort in his ear, but one look at poor Gertrud's form and felt his throat tighten at the sight. She had been kind to him, and Edward could count on one hand the number of people who spoke to him with compassion. Carefully, he pulled Oswald to his feet, the Omega leaning heavily against him as he ordered the men to carefully remove Gertrud from the sewer. 

Oswald was a veritable wreck from that moment onward, unable to fully enjoy the return of his mate now that he had once again tasted the bitterness of loss. 

He turned to Oswald and thumbed the chilly tears still clinging to his cheek and jaw. He didn't know what to say to Oswald, whose grief was so palpable that it was clouding the air. His hand brushed against Oswald's stomach, a slide of his palm over the brocade of his suit as he wrapped his arm around him again. 

Oswald went rigid, pulling away from Edward to stalk down the hall after his men. Edward's brow furrowed at his mate. He tried to quiet the sudden wings beating against his stomach. Oswald was grieving, and perhaps did not wish to be touched at this moment, it was a perfectly logical explanation.

_ Or perhaps, he  _ blames _ you. _

Edward shook his head to dispel the voice, following Oswald at a jog. 

The ride to the funeral home was uncomfortably taciturn. Oswald had refused to let Edward see to his ankle, and had plowed ahead with getting Gertrud's body safe without a cohesive plan. Edward placed his hand against Oswald's thigh as the other man stared out the window, eyes fixed and cold. Edward swallowed, trying to dig through the thick of his subconscious for any  _ words _ , searching his impressive vocabulary, but with a hollow sigh he could not find the correct collection of words or phrases to help his mate through his grief. So, he offered Oswald his hand, his ear, his heart, and hoped the other man could bridge the gap. 

Eventually, Oswald settled against him, emotionally wrecked with loss and utterly exhausted. He knew that eventually he would have to discuss the additional loss to the other man, disclose that he had been an incompetent mate- he shuddered softly at the thought. 

Edward took solace in the warm weight of Oswald against his side. Their time at the funeral home was quick and somber, Oswald dictating exactly what he needed, and the director accommodating without comment. 

By the time they returned to the hideout both men were utterly drained. Edward’s head pounded behind his eyes, hands trembling as they guided an uneasy mate through the tunnel. He would need to see to Oswald's ankle and quietly asked him to sit so he could attend him. 

He did so, far too tired to argue and admittedly in need of some soothing personal attention despite their sordid hideout. "If things don't get better soon I fear they never will…" Oswald murmured, joints creaking as he seated himself in the rickety wooden chair offered to him. 

"Lateral malleolus fracture," Edward whispered under his breath, distracted for a moment from Oswald's words. He looked up once the soft cadence permeated his loud mind. "We will take back control, and you will see Galavan split from navel to nose if I have my way." He set the ankle with a bit of pressure and tied it with a ripped piece of blanket he'd found. 

Oswald winced, but found comfort in Edward's low, clinical way of speaking. "I'd prefer to do it myself if you don't mind," he hissed, swallowing a lump in his throat. 

"I'll take immense satisfaction in watching the deed," he murmured, rising to sit at his side. He took Oswald's hand in his, squeezing gently. 

He held it tightly, opening and closing his mouth as he struggled to form words. Edward deserved to know about their loss, about how deeply Theo Galavan had wronged them. "Eddie…" 

"I'm here, I'm right here, Oswald," he replied raggedly. He reached into his coat pocket and took out the ring, the weight by now a comfort in his hand. He sat back slowly; his other hand gentle as he lifted Oswald's jaw to look into his blue eyes, cornea red and raw. "You mean the world to me, Oswald. You are the greatest man I have ever known, and I cannot imagine what my life would be now if we had not met that fateful day. I feel immense sorrow for you, your grief like a knife through my heart, but dry your eyes, my love. I would do anything for you, just as I know that you would move heaven and earth to get to me. No one has ever cared for me in the way that you do, no one has ever  _ cared _ period." He opened his hand, unable to continue as his throat restricted with more feeling that Edward knew how to process. "This was a tremendous help to me during my capture. Your mother gave it to me that first dinner we shared. She was so wonderfully confident, talking about family, and happiness...and love. Nothing seemed further out of my reach, but  _ you _ ...you stayed by my side. You saw something in me that I didn't even see…" He cleared his throat, the tears hot on his cheeks. When had he begun to cry? His heart beat wildly in his chest, too loud in his ears as he smiled at his mate. He took Oswald's hand and slid the ring onto his finger with unsteady hands. 

"This is… Ed I can't .." Oswald gasped, immediately recognizing the familiar piece of jewelry as one that had previously resided on his beloved mother's hand.

Edward’s hand recoiled, wide brown eyes gazing down at his mate with confusion and wretched rejection. 

Oswald continued in a breath, grabbing Edward's hand back desperately. "I need to tell you before you do this, I'm not fit to be your mate I…" his eyes brimmed with tears, throat dry and tight as he forced himself to meet Edward's. "You- We were going to…" Oswald sucked in a trembling breath, "I was pregnant." 

Edward gaped at Oswald, mouth falling open in a soft 'o', his mind a sudden cacophony of thoughts. "I...you… _ was _ ?" 

"I am  **_so_ ** sorry," he bowed his head in sorrow, "I was under too much stress, you were missing… it didn't make it…" Oswald choked out, voice low and raspy. 

Edward immediately encircled his arms around his mate, holding him close. "Oh Oswald, I am sorry, I am so sorry. You had to go through that alone, you should not have had to...oh dear, _oh_ _dear._ " 

_ Some mate you are. _

He glared like fire over Oswald's shoulders at the frowning apparition. 

He clung to Edward sadly, hushing him between his own soft cries. "It's fine, I'm fine, you're fine." 

Edward sat back with a startled breath. "Are you certain? There can be complications with miscarriages --infection, or hormone imbalances. Were you seen by a doctor? I should've been here…"

"I'm okay Eddie… Lee Thompkins was looking after me until-" his face crumpled, and he buried it against Edward's neck with a shaky inhale. "I'm okay. I ought to go for a checkup but I'm okay." 

He let out the air he'd been holding, hot and heavy against his lungs. Slowly he fell back against the cot they'd been sitting on, pulling Oswald down with him. "I am  _ exhausted _ ."

"Me too. I'm just relieved I still have you," he whispered softly. "If I had lost you I think I'd have given up entirely after everything else I've had taken from me. You have to promise me that you'll stay by my side…"

"Always. I will always be here for you. No one will ever take me away again," he growled lowly, holding Oswald close, covetous and protective. 

He sighed heavily in relief, glad to simply exist alongside Edward in that moment, holding one another and breathing in tandem as they shared space and basked in the energy of the other. "I don't know where to go from here, but I know I must act quickly to get the upper hand. They will expect me to mourn, but I will not mourn until I have won!"

"I will scope out Galavan's next move and we can plan from there. I'll need the last week's news, any information your people can gather from the underworld, and...I need to call Jim," he sighed with a roll of his eyes. 

Oswald's brow furrowed. He hadn't spoken properly with Jim since his last appointment with Lee. "If we must…" he sighed, resting his brow against Edward's bony shoulder. 

He ran his fingers through Oswald’s hair, mind finally lulling into quiet as he listened to the steady sound of Oswald's breathing. He closed his eyes, humming a soft lilting memory, vividly familiar to the man in his arms. 

He managed to keep from crying, and took solace in the comforting action. "I love you Ed," he whispered softly, grasping him tight for a moment as though to check that he was still real and present.

"I love you too, Oswald. So very much." He kissed the crown of his head, his words slurring together in a tired whisper. 

"We should get some rest while we can," he murmured, cupping his cheek gently. 

"Mmhm, sleep now, murder tomorrow…" he snuggled against Oswald, wonderfully warm as he drifted to sleep.


	3. Step Aside, Jim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end! I hope everyone had a really good time reading it, and please leave Kudos and a comment with what you thought!

“Putting Penguin in the crosshairs of the G.C.P.D. will drive him underground,” Tabitha complained as Theo adjusted his tie. His mayoral campaign announced his victory the night previous, a landslide by the estimation of city-hall. All the loose ends were beginning to tie themselves up rather nicely. “We can’t get him if we can’t find him.” 

“We won’t need to find him,” he reminded with a grin. “Penguin will deliver himself to us. He won’t be able to resist.” 

“And why would he do that?” she asked with a raised brow, coming to stand next to her brother in front of the full-length mirror. “Especially after his mother…” 

“Penguin’s rage will consume his better judgment. He’ll crave revenge.” 

“And then I get to kill him?” Her tone dripped with savagery and hunger. 

He turned toward her with a laugh. “And then you get to kill him.” 

\---

Edward and Oswald were in their small cell, a few maps and charts laid out in front of them, the newspapers long forgotten on the floor. “We’ll never be able to touch him in his stronghold. That gilded tower is a fortress of overcompensation,” Oswald complained with a scowl.

“I’m certain I could think of something given time, but we don’t have the resources for a full assault…”

A quiet knock on the frame of the wall caused them to look up. Zsasz stood there with a frown, dark eyes glittering with anger in the low light. “You’re gonna wanna see this, boss.” They followed him to a small antechamber, the television illuminating the crowd of men. Zsasz and Gabe pushed upfront to the centre as Oswald and Edward followed.

“I am eager to get to work in this great city as your mayor. I would also like to address the recent attempt on my life by the man known as The Penguin. It is true he attacked me, and as of now, he is still at large. Men such as Penguin and his weak-willed mate will no longer be tolerated. These men who scurry from the light of decency like cockroaches. Who hide their true nature and forsake the natural order of things. Men, who not even a mother could love--” 

Oswald’s cane made sharp contact with the screen, shattering Galavan’s image as he shook. He turned to address his men, Edward immediately at his side. “He dies, tonight.” 

With a careful hand, Edward guided him back toward their small room, away from prying eyes. They needed to finish planning. They needed to silence that man once and for all. 

Objects in Oswald's path between rooms were summarily smashed and shoved out of the way, anger boiling over as he fought to keep from shedding angry tears. "This has gone on long enough!" 

Edward made no move to temper Oswald's fury, his own form trembling with anger. He whipped out his phone, immediately dialling a number he was loathed to have his fingers type out. 

The call was answered after only one ring. "Who is this, and how did you get this number?"

"Hello to you too, Jim." There was a long pause followed by the shuffling sound of someone rising to their feet. When Jim spoke again he was whispering. 

"Oswald found you? Is that why our newly appointed mayor is really gunning for him now?"

"A scapegoat was needed, I'm sure," he muttered with a sneer. 

"Listen, Ed, I can't really help you. Galavan is pretty insistent on this whole mayoral celebration, but it's going to be packed to the teeth with officers." 

A slow smirk spread over Edward's lips at Jim's forthcoming nature. "We cannot let these grievances stand, Jim." 

"Edward, think of your mate."

He looked over at Oswald, locking eyes with his distraught, pained, and  _ furious _ Omega. "I am, Jimbo." He clicked the phone shut sharply. "I have several ideas," he began without preamble. "Each more improbable than the last… If I had more time, my love. I might be able to come up with something, but Jim let slip that the place will be crawling with G.C.P.D. goons. Let Gabe and Zsasz-"

"Ed!" Oswald yelled, holding up his hand to stop his ramblings. 

"I'm sorry, Oswald," he murmured, wringing his hands. 

"I'm sending a full assault, we need every man we can get regardless of ability- numbers will be key here," he growled, pacing furiously. "We need a diversion, a good one, and I think I have the perfect way to send Galavan a message that's impossible to ignore. All of Gotham will know I am taking my revenge!" 

Edward's eyes glimmered as he watched Oswald pace and formulate --if Edward was following the words flying at a rapid pace from Oswald's lips, what was an amazingly intricate and beautifully brilliant plan. That was one of the many things he adored about his mate: the easy way the other man, an Omega no less, seized everything that he was owed. Power, money, revenge. He was absolutely stunning in his fury. " _ Yes _ , you're incredible, Oswald. A tour de force of the true King of Gotham, an army of you!"

"Call the warehouses- we'll need suits, vests, wigs, the works, anything we need to make our army look like its leader; no one will be able to spot the real me when I choose my moment to strike Theo Galavan down." He turned to face Edward, trembling with passion and fury. 

He reached for him, holding him as close as he was able, tight and  _ desperate _ against his chest. He breathed in, filling his lungs with Oswald's comforting scent. "We don't have time for me to get so distracted by you, but by god, Oswald, you are intoxicating."

"There will be time for that later, I assure you," he replied, voice heated as he caressed the other man's hair. "When we have found our victory we will have all the time in the world…" 

Edward separated himself from Oswald slowly, as if the very action pained him. "I will set up your recruitment and costumes. We're going to need more men for this, people who are idiotic and expendable." He placed a sweet kiss to the arc of his cheek and moved toward the door with a new sense of purpose. 

"Send some of the more persuasive men to recruit… tell them payment will be delivered after the job is completed," he chuckled wickedly. 

\---

Dark luxury vehicles slowly circled the lot, each checked and secured by the G.C.P.D, every guest checked-in and accounted for. The entire building was locked down. Surely Oswald would not be foolish enough to attempt revenge tonight. Jim had faith the mobster valued his life more than the chance at Galavan's, but he would not put anything past him; he was, after all, the former umbrella boy who out-foxed them all and won a city. 

Speaking to Galavan made his skin crawl, the slimy snake of a man was used to escaping unscathed from consequences, and Jim was determined to bring him to justice. Now that Edward was safe they could use his testimony to bring Galavan down, the right way. 

He only hoped Oswald stayed out of his way. 

"Large group of men invading from the tree line."

Jim pulled the walkie-talkie up to his lips and breathed, "Do you have a visual?" 

"Eyes on the target. Confirmed. It is Oswald Cobblepot, sir."

Damnit, Oswald!

"Hold your fire! Do not fire."

It was quiet for too long, Jim moving calmly but quickly through the crowd toward the mayor. 

"Target down."

"Damnit, I said hold your fire!"

"Wasn't us, sir. We have enemy fire on the roof."

"Find it."

\--

Finding Tabitha by tracking the G.C.P.D. stooge had been a brilliant plan on Edward's part. He was able to shoot out her leg as she skewered the young officer through the throat with her impractical heel. She cried out in pain only once, even as she fell with a crunch of her ankle, still twisted and embedded still in the officer's throat. With a smug saunter, Edward approached gun held aloft. For a moment Tabitha was caught off guard before breaking out in pained laughter at Edward's attire. "You look  _ ridiculous _ . Can't be your own man? Just an extension of your  _ Omega _ ?" He lifted the butt of the gun and brought it down on her head with a crack. She fell to the side, looking up blearily through lidded eyes. 

"Hopefully this will teach you never to mess with your intellectual superiors." He crouched down, gun pressed against the underside of her jaw. "It can't be seen, can't be felt, can't be heard, and can't be smelt. It lies behind stars and under hills, and empty holes it fills. It comes first and follows after, ends life, and kills laughter. What is it?"

She fought to answer through the fog in her brain, snarling as the words fell into place. "Darkness," she gritted out. "That's an old one." 

He snarled and brought the gun down on her head again, and this time her body slumped forward like a doll. 

Jim and Galavan began to move swiftly toward the back as what could only be described as a mob of Penguins charged the building. They crashed through the windows and broke down the doors, firing as soon as they entered the ballroom. Chaos erupted just as Jim pushed the mayor through the back door and out to the waiting limo. He had to trust the ensuing panic and mess to his team and Harvey. 

Galavan ran toward his limo, too calm for a man under fire. A loud shot rang out, the driver slumping forward with an audible thud. Oswald, the true Oswald Cobblepot stepped out from the tree-line, shotgun aimed high. 

Jim stepped between Galavan and Oswald, hands held up in surrender. "Oswald…"

"Stand aside Jim," the genuine article snarled, looking far more elegant than his army of doppelgangers. 

"You know I can't do that, Oswald. Where is Edward?" He had hoped his former coworker would talk some sense into his mate. 

Up above, Edward stepped over Tabitha with an air of satisfaction and looked through the scope to where Oswald was confronting Galavan. His frown deepened as he saw Jim standing between Galavan and his mate, the detective's gun drawn on Oswald. Edward could see Galavan whispering something to Jim which made him stiffen and shift briefly before addressing Oswald once more. Edward trained his gun on Jim, finger hovering over the trigger. If he so much as moved a muscle Edward would drop him. 

"Nearby," Oswald replied, baring his teeth as he adjusted his grip on the weapon clutched in his hands. "Now please, let me do this." 

"Shoot him, detective," came the sibilant hiss from behind him.

"Oswald, please listen to me, and put the gun down. Let me do my job," he said meaningfully.

"You know what he's done! To Edward, to  _ me _ , you know who he really is!" he shouted, eyes burning as he cocked the shotgun. "... He killed my mother, Jim." Oswald's voice broke as he met the other man's eyes, desperate to end his suffering with this revenge. 

"Detective I am ordering you to put that man down. Now," Galavan growled in his ear, nearly vibrating with tension. This man who had lied and cheated and  _ murdered _ his way to power. Who even now was commanding him to kill in cold blood. What sort of justice could a man like this face within the corrupt court system of Gotham? He spent so long chasing the light of justice, only to now defend the very monsters he was meant to be protecting the city from. How could those families move on, how could  _ Oswald _ ? He locked eyes with Oswald's, the Omega's filled with tears of raw agony.

Oswald shifted forward, the gun trembling in his hands. Edward's heart ached for him, and just as he was about to make the decision for the detective, Jim stepped aside and Edward  _ grinned.  _ "Good choice, Jimbo." 

Galavan gasped, incredulous and angry as Jim trained his gun on the mayor. "Detective! How dare you-?"

"This is for my Mother you bastard!" he hissed, pulling the trigger with a loud, satisfying cry as the shot rang out, hitting its target directly in the center of his chest. The mayor fell back without a word, body hitting the ground with a satisfying thud. Without a glance at Jim, Oswald limped over to the corpse and fired his second shell, splattering Galavan's brains through the grass. With a growl he clicked open the chamber, preparing to reload. 

Jim stilled Oswald's hand, shaking his head as he heard backup start to arrive behind them. "You have to run, Oswald. There's no time."

Oswald lowered it reluctantly, allowing it to clatter from his hands as he strained to look for Edward, in vain. "Thank you, Jim, I owe you..." he murmured, squeezing the officer's hand tightly before disappearing into the treeline. 

Assured of Tabitha's incapacitated state, Edward raced against the incoming backup from the G.C.P.D. As he ran, he stripped off his pinstripe coat, ripping the tie from his throat to throw them both into a nearby potted plant. He made it into an adjacent room, abandoned due to the chaos still reigning on the floor below, and out onto the balcony. From there he climbed down and made a break for the treeline, sweat dripping from his brow, adrenaline pushing him forward. He felt so  _ alive  _ like this, running from the G.C.P.D. It was like a game! He sprinted through the treeline to the rendezvous point with a manic vigor. 

Oswald was waiting for him at the place they had designated, and quickly the pair made their way deeper into the woods, to the dilapidated looking trailer that Oswald had purchased upon his triumphant return to Gotham, disguised well among the natural treeline and underbrush. It was modest and cramped, but there was a mattress on the floor and a roof overhead. It would keep them hidden until the heat was off of the area, they'd stocked it with supplies prior to their operation. 

"He's dead," Oswald breathed in relief when they were finally alone in the silent grey interior of the trailer, shedding his suit jacket and tie before collapsing onto the mattress with a groan. "It's finally over." 

Edward joined him on the mattress and laid back with a laugh. "You did it~! You won!" His eyes trailed up to the ceiling, a new laugh of delight leaving his throat at the mad collage of pictures plastered to the ceiling. One of Falcone, Fish, Jim, all the old enemies and people of interest. Each with their own bitter comment scribbled in blood-red ink to the side. It was positively adorable to see the Penguin's old squat. 

He turned immediately to wrap an arm around Edward's midsection, holding him close with a content sigh. "We've won," he murmured, giving his mate the credit he deserved for his part in the murder of Theo Galavan. 

Edward nuzzled against his side as he wrapped his long arms around his small frame. "You haven't been eating. It's understandable, stress can cause dietary changes. I'll cook for you again when this is all over~" 

"You try eating after what we've been through," he murmured, pinching the other man's ribs playfully.

He laughed again, the sound seeming to bubble up from deep within. He tackled Oswald back onto the mattress, pinning him beneath him to nuzzle at his mark. "I would certainly like to snack on something~" 

"Can you keep quiet? It's important we keep our cover~" he murmured, a soft moan rumbling in his throat as he felt Edward reclaim him with a gentle bite. 

"I might need to occupy my mouth~" he breathed, tricky fingers trailing down his chest toward his belt. 

Oswald keened quietly, melting beneath his mate's touch. "I've missed you so much," he blurted, cheeks flushed beautifully in the dark light of the forest that shafted through the dusty windows. 

"I've missed you more than I ever thought possible." He opened Oswald's fly slowly, a grin forming on his lips as he looked up at his mate. With a reverent, careful touch he stripped his beloved on the dingy mattress, pale and perfect among the filth. He kissed a trail down his chest up over the slight curve of his belly, a hollow reminder of what he missed and what had been taken from them. 

His warm hands caressed his sides, soft cheek resting against the crest of his stomach as he breathed in a sigh. "We never discussed...I never thought that it could be possible that anyone would  _ want _ ...with me…" His hands rubbed soothing circles against his skin as he spoke in a low soothing tone. 

"Ed I… I would have been happy to have your child, however inconvenient the timing. I'm sorry I could not keep it. I'm a poor omega... " Oswald sighed, stifling tears as he focused on the other man's careful touch. 

Edward's head snapped up to look Oswald in the eye. He crawled forward, nearly straddling his mate as he held his hands on either side of his face. "You are an  _ amazing _ Omega, an  _ incredible _ partner, and the absolute love of my  _ life _ , Oswald. What happened to our child was the result of Galavan and he paid dearly for his machinations. When we decide to try again our child will be  _ unstoppable _ ."

He smiled with wet eyes and leaned forward to capture his lips passionately, happy to finally be alone together, despite the chance of being discovered as they awaited an all-clear signal. 

Edward's fingers began their impish descent once more as his mouth caressed Oswald's with an ardour and affection that caused them both to moan. His tongue slipped between their parted lips as Oswald gasped and bucked against him, clinging to the other man as if afraid he might disappear. 

He would find both of Oswald's entrances to be slick and eager to be penetrated by his mate when he finally relieved the omega of his undergarment. His scent was powerful and intoxicating, growing stronger as his arousal became more apparent. "Perhaps you ought to light some of that masking incense I stashed in the bug out bag … I'd hate for someone to smell us… well, me," he chuckled breathlessly, knowing by now that he was notorious for his intense smell. 

He groaned at the idea of parting from Oswald even for a moment but crawled away from his mate toward a raggedy duffle bag. He dug around inside, growing increasingly more frustrated until at last his fingers clasped his prize. He lit the incense, nose curling at the acrid odor, and opened the window, the stench wafting out to counter their own and cover their tracks. 

He crawled back over to Oswald and buried his nose against his neck, taking a deep breath into his lungs, filling himself with his mate. "Fuck, I need you."

"Take me, please, I've been without you too long," he replied heatedly, baring his neck to his mate submissively, eager to feel his knot. He spread his legs, giving Edward a far more enticing scent to focus on than the incense. 

With a low growl, Edward pulled and ripped at his trousers, pulling them down and kicking them away only to sink into Oswald down, down,  _ down _ . Into his tight, wet heat as he gripped his hips and groaned above him. It felt like finally being whole, like being present through the loud cacophony of thoughts ever swirling around his mind. Every nerve was alight with prickling electric pleasure that was pinpointed at the center where they became one. With a slow roll of his hips he thrust deep and smooth in and out of Oswald, the slick sloppy slide felt so  _ fucking good _ that Edward could hardly contain the cry of pleasure by biting his lip until he tasted bitter copper.

Oswald was quick to take the edge of his discarded jacket sleeve between his teeth to muffle the resulting sounds Edward's actions elicited. "Oh yessss," he whined around his makeshift gag, curling his legs around his mate's waist tightly. 

"Oh darling," he whispered with a laugh as he felt the entire RV tremble with his thrusts. "I might bring the world down around us with the force of our love~" He sat up, pulling Oswald into his lap. He used the leverage to thrust up into Oswald at a rapid pace, burying his nose against their bond mark as he held him close.

He managed to keep his whimpers soft as Edward brushed all the right spots inside him, eagerly tugging at his erection as he felt himself clench around his mate. "Let the world fall."

He felt his knot begin to swell, pleasure pooling in the pit of his stomach. He knew, as he felt Oswald's walls clench and strain around him, that he was not going to last much longer. He lowered Oswald back to the mattress with rolling thrusts, caressing his sweet face and hair as he looked into those beautiful blue eyes. He pulled his cock free from the embrace of his body and with only a few more strokes of his hand he was coming with a groan over Oswald's stomach and chest. 

He writhed, a primal part of his mind crying out in upset as he was denied the knot from his mate. He joined him swiftly in release, tugging on his own cock as he made a spectacular mess. 

Edward collapsed to his side with a grin and cuddled against Oswald. "We have quite the adventure ahead of us, my love~"

"I have faith we will conquer," he smirked, wiping his sweaty forehead with a soft pant as he caught his breath. 

"Speaking of conquering, how shall we overcome the problem of Gordon as a witness to a murder? I don't suppose you can be convinced to be sensible about that loose end?"

Oswald shook his head insistently, "I wouldn't have succeeded tonight if Jim hadn't allowed me to take the shot- he put his gun on Galavan to keep him from running." His blue eyes widened with a puppy-dog stare as he spoke. He had never been unable to hide his admiration for the so-called 'straight edge' officer of the law. "He let me take my revenge, he isn't a loose end, if anything I owe him…"

Edward huffed, rolling his eyes at his mate's clearly smitten expression. "You're hopelessly blind where Jim's concerned, but I'm certain someone will kill that idiot sooner than later, so I'll leave him alone. For you." He pulled him close and pressed his lips against their mark, opening his mouth to lap and suck at the glands, claiming him with guttural growls. "But remember, Oswald. You are  _ mine _ ." 

"Nghhh I know that~" he gasped softly, delighted by Edward's act of dominance. "But you cannot deny Jim has been helpful to us- and his mate Leslie helped me," Oswald reminded, not wishing to outright enrage the other man as he toed the line playfully to encourage retaliation. "... and he's very  _ handsome _ ~"

Edward's lower lip protruded as he fought a scowl. "Cruel, Oswald." He wrapped his arms around his waist and tickled his sides mercilessly. 

"Don't tell me you're jealous of good ol' Jim Gordon~" he gasped, giggling softly at the assault. 

"How can I compete with such a stud," he smirked, sarcasm dripping from each word. "Your attention is what I am jealous of, I will always crave it."

"Mmm maybe I just like getting under your skin, getting that alpha blood pumping," he palmed Edward's cock firmly, possessively. "I'm yours~" 

"Again already?" he asked with a leer. "Did you miss me so much?"

"More than words can describe," Oswald whined sweetly, coaxing him with a few squeezes. "I lay awake at night aching for you, never knowing if I would feel your touch again. If I'd hear your whisper against my ear and breathe in your scent…"

Edward's cock began to rise against the curve of Oswald's hand. He groaned lowly, rolling his hips into the expert strokes. "So now you plan to never let me rise from this mattress," he teased, caressing his cheek.

"Only if it means we can flee to a nicer bed~" he replied hungrily, intoxicated by the other man's very presence; his mate, his alpha, his  _ Edward _ . "I'd rut with you until the city of Gotham itself fell down around us." 

"That says quite a lot," he panted, quickly falling under Oswald's sway. "You  _ love _ this city." He pulled Oswald down into a kiss, nearly devouring his mouth as he licked and sucked on his petal pink lips. 

"I love  _ you _ more," he gasped softly, nearly inaudible amidst their frenzied kisses. Oswald rubbed his slick folds against his mate's thick cock, eager to be filled again. "Please, Eddie~" 

With a show of strength, Edward lifted Oswald over his hips, causing the other man to straddle him as he continued to rub his cock against him. "You are too perfect to deny for long, my love. You had me in your sway from the first." He pushed his cock slowly inside, gripping Oswald's hips to control his rate of descent. 

Ignoring his body's aches and creaks, Oswald fought against Edward's grasp with an eager wiggle of his hips, coaxing him inside further as he squeezed around his length. "Yes, yes, more please," he gasped, cautious to keep his volume down, though it was admittedly difficult. 

With a growl he let Oswald drop down fully, pulling him forward to silence his moans with another kiss. There was nothing quite like kissing Oswald, Edward found, the smooth slide of their soft, warm lips, the way his well-manicured fingers scrambled for purchase against his shoulders, sides, and even his hair as he wriggled and writhed on Edward's cock. The normally frigid mob boss was incredibly wanton when given the proper motivation. 

The slick, hot slide of their bodies together was enough to warm the air in the drafty trailer, sweat beading at Oswald's forehead as he continued bouncing eagerly atop his mate's cock. "I feel so complete…~" he praised, raking his nails down Edward's chest gently. 

Edward could only nod, too caught up in his rut to reply verbally. He reached around his beloved to grab his ass, he pushed and squeezed at the soft roundness, pounding up and into Oswald. 

"Oh god, you're going to make me cum," he moaned eagerly, squeezing around Edward tightly. "You feel so good~"

With a smug leer, Edward's mischievous long fingers pressed against his slick puckered entrance. While his knot began to swell, filling Oswald's tight little cunt, he pressed two fingers inside his ass. He rolled his hips up as Oswald continued to rise and fall, fucking himself fully. 

With a soft squeal, his little omega came hard around him, clenching like a vice. "Eddie!" He managed to muffle his cry in the crook of his mate's shoulder, biting down as he eagerly rode out his orgasm. 

Edward held him close as he arched his neck. He loved the idea of his feisty Omega marking him like an Alpha. He felt Oswald break the skin and his eyes screwed shut as he came deep within him. "F-fuck...Holy fuck," he whispered, chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Yesss…" Oswald hissed softly, the more primal part of his mind finally satiated as he felt his mate spill inside him. "Mine…" he hummed, gasping as he felt Edward's knot swell snugly within him.

"Yours, my love. I believe I was from that first moment I saw you, felt you, loved you. Was this fate?"

"Mmhmm… must be," he agreed, for a brief moment feeling utterly content and at peace. 

Edward smiled as Oswald began to nod off against him. He had absolutely no plan for the future, was on the run, in a dingy trailer in the middle of the forest, but he knew with the sleeping Omega by his side they could conquer anything. 


End file.
